


World Without End

by protector91



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Framework Continuation, Gen, Post-Framework Universe (Marvel), The Framework Universe (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2018-11-01 21:22:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10930287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protector91/pseuds/protector91
Summary: SPOILERS for the Season 4 finale. Doctor Holden Radcliffe figured that if he was going to die, he might as well face it with dignity. But what came next could only be described with two words; a miracle. Now he and the denizens of The Framework must pick up where Team Coulson left off to make their world a better place. But can they withstand the might of Hydra?





	1. A Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey everyone. So that was quite a finale last night wasn't it? While I enjoyed it, the way the Framework was written out really bummed me out, so I wrote this as a way to cope. Lol. It's being kept as a one-shot for now, but if I think of other things to explore, I'll write more. For now, I hope you enjoy this. :)

"This is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but a…" Radcliffe finds himself in darkness before he can finish his sentence; his drink missing from his hand. "Well, ok then," he comments and then observes his surroundings; nothing, but darkness as far as the eye can see.

"Can't say this is how I pictured the afterlife," he says to no one in particular. "Especially after seeing what might as well have been the Devil. Or maybe I haven't fully been erased yet. Maybe this is the final stage. In the beginning there was darkness, so I suppose it's only fitting that in the end…" Radcliffe is cut off by the sight of a small light in the distance. One that continues to grow with each passing second.

"Is that…Heaven's light?" He wonders. "No. Not after everything I've done, so what is it then?" As if it heard him, the brightness of the light grows exponentially and Radcliffe shields his eyes with his hands. Seconds after doing so, he feels something wet beneath his feet. "That's not possible," he whispers.

He opens his eyes and sees the sand he was sitting on barely a minute ago and the bottle of scotch beside him and the glass; water from the ocean washing up to his feet and then receding to where it came from. Not sure what to do, Radcliffe just lifts a hand up and places it over his rapidly beating heart. He isn't sure if it's wishful thinking or not, but it really feels like his heart is beating and not his mind making him think it is. He sits there for a few moments afraid that this might be just his brain struggling to remember something as it fails back in the real world. After what he guesses to be ten or so minutes, the world remains exactly as it was; unending.

"How?" He wonders again and then snaps his fingers. "The Darkhold. Of course. Matter created from it isn't so easy to wipeout by normal means; especially not from something as simple as a few quick keystrokes. Does this mean we're out of the Framework and in our own dimension now?" Radcliffe wonders. As he continues to ponder this, he slowly gets up to his feet and grabs the glass of scotch. He looks at it for a second then tosses it aside and picks up the whole bottle instead. He takes a long gulp of it and sighs at the taste.

"Ok Radcliffe, you've been given a second chance to make things right, so you better start with…oh shit. Hope!" Radcliffe drops the bottle and races back to town.

* * *

 

"If I ever see Aida again," he mumbles under his breath once he finally reaches the city feeling exhausted from his trek from the beach.

He contemplates asking for a ride the rest of the way to Mack's house, but quickly rules that option out once he sees other people. Things are a sea of mass confusion with people yelling about entire buildings vanishing and suddenly being back or even seeing loved ones temporarily disappear before their very eyes.

 _Do I ever feel sorry for whomever has to explain this,_ Radcliffe thinks. _Then again, maybe I should be the one to try and help make sense of things once the confusion dies down. But first, Hope._

He takes a deep breath and continues on his way for Mack's home. Screeching tires suddenly catch his attention and he has just enough time to brace himself as a car heads straight for him; an impact does not follow.

 _...am...am I alive?_ Radcliffe think. He opens his eyes and sees he's still standing.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?" An angry voice shouts interrupting Radcliffe's sigh of relief.

"I am so sorry, wait a minute. You look familiar to me," Radcliffe says.

"Can't say the same about you," the driver replies as a woman gets out of the passenger's side of the car.

"Be nice to him, Hunter," she says. "He's probably as confused as the rest of us are."

 _Bobbi and Hunter. That's it,_ Radcliffe realizes. _Read about them in Shield's files. They seemed like good people._

"Confused doesn't even begin to cover it," Radcliffe plays along while also spotting wedding rings on Bobbi and Hunter's fingers.

_Looks like the Framework fixed a regret for them as well._

"You look like you could use some help," Bobbi comments.

"Everybody needs help, love," Hunter clarifies.

"Yes! Yes, I need help," Radcliffe answers before he loses their attention. "There's a girl, a child. I think she might be alone. I'm trying to get to her, but I'm exhausted. Can you give me a ride?" He asks them.

"Sure, hop in," Bobbi offers.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Radcliffe gets into the car and sits in the back.

"What's your name?" Hunter asks.

"Radcliffe. Holden Radcliffe. Take me to, um, 318 LeFranc Drive."

"Well buckle up, Radcliffe, because my wife here drives like crazy," Hunter jokes.

"He's not wrong," Bobbi laughs and kisses her husband's cheek before flooring it and speeding off to their destination.

* * *

 

"Hope! Hope!" Radcliffe shouts racing into Mack's home; Mack himself nowhere to be seen. "Hope!" He yells again.

P _lease let her be alright. Please. PLEASE,_ he begs and then makes out the faint sound of someone crying. He follows the sound and finds Hope on her bed with tears streaming down her face.

"My daddy," she cries.

"Your daddy is…is," Radcliffe doesn't know what to say and just sits down beside Hope.

"That lady said I wasn't real. Is that true? Am I going to die?" She continues to sob.

"Hey," Radcliffe says turning her face towards him. "I never saw something fake be able to cry. You're real. As real as can be. You've got your whole life ahead of you now," he assures her and wipes away some of her tears.

"But what about my daddy?"

"Your father. He can't be with you anymore. He stayed with you as long as he possibly could, but in the end, he was taken back to the other side."

"Do you mean Heaven?"

"Um, something like that. It's by no means a paradise, but he's with people that love him." Tears start to fall down Hope's face again.

"Except me," she whispers. Radcliffe pulls her into a hug.

"He loved you more than anything and if he could see you now, I have a pretty good feeling about what he'd want you to do."

"What's that?"

"He'd want you to live. That's all we can do now. Pull ourselves back up and live."


	2. A Strange Case

**A/N: Well, this story being a one shot didn't last long did it? Lol. Not sure how far it's gonna go, but for now, I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

_You weren't built to last_ , Radcliffe remembers telling the May LMD.

The Framework on the other hand? That was built to last. A world without regret and without end. Radcliffe sees now just how foolish of a creation this was. There were just some lines that science was never meant to cross. Ironic then that he used magic to cross them instead. All he can do now is help the people in this world in whatever way he can.

In the few hours that passed since the Framework became real, Radcliffe, Hope, Bobbi, and Hunter headed for the Playground along with many other civilians believing the Agents of Shield would have answers. Ward and his fellow agents were doing their best to keep order, but there was no doubting the confusion on their faces.

"I've seen some weird things in my time, but this global 'now you see me, now you don't, now you do' stuff takes the cake," Hunter says pacing around the Playground while Bobbi and Hope look something up on one of the Shield computers.

"Hopefully the President will have some sort of explanation for this when he addresses the nation," Radcliffe says continuing to play dumb.

"He'll probably just blame Hydra. Not that I wouldn't mind another nail being driven into their coffin after all they've done; especially the Madame. But still, we need some real answers."

Just hearing the word 'Madame' sent a shiver up Radcliffe's spine and he wondered what would become of AIDA's vacant Framework Avatar.

 _Unlike the others, she left behind a body_ , he thinks. _By all means, her avatar should be brain dead since AIDA unplugged herself from the Framework. But now that we're a real place, will that give life back to her avatar? Will she be the same as AIDA or will she become her own person with her own personality, memories, and no recollection of who she was outside of this world? Or maybe someone else already found her comatose body and finished her off._

"Radcliffe?"

"Hm," he says coming out of his train of thought.

"Bobbi's got something." Hunter directs Radcliffe's attention to the computer Bobbi and Hope are at and they walk over to join them.

"That's her," Hope says pointing to the image of a woman on a the computer monitor. "That's my mom."

"Doesn't seem too far from here. A few hours drive at best," Bobbi says.

"What am I gonna tell her about daddy?" Hope asks.

"We'll...figure that part out later," Radcliffe answers.

"Hey everyone," Ward calls out. "The President's going to speak in a few minutes. We're broadcasting in the hangar, so please head there now if you will." The people obey his orders and head for the hangar; Hope holding Bobbi's hand. Radcliffe starts to follow, but a hand on his shoulder makes him stop.

"Dr. Holden Radcliffe," an unfamiliar voice says. Radcliffe turns around and meets an unfamiliar face. He's looks American, around the age of 40, with an interesting looking beard.

"How do you know my name?" Radcliffe asks the mysterious individual.

"If you will follow me, I will explain everything."

"You'll forgive me if I'm not keen on following strangers after the past few months I've had," Radcliffe says and tries to go after the last group of people exiting the room. The mysterious individual grabs his arm and Radcliffe's world suddenly feels lighter and he feels himself tumbling backwards. He stops before hitting the ground and finds himself staring at his own body.

"Holy shit!" He curses. He looks at his hands and can see right through them.

"Now that I've got your attention," the man says.

"What did you do to me!" Radcliffe yells and then sees that the man is floating outside his body as well.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Doctor Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystical Arts, at your service."

"Oh my God. Not more magic," Radcliffe groans.

"You can relax. I'm far more benign than anything you read in the Darkhold." Strange places a hand on Radcliffe's astral form and shoves it back into his body and then reenters his own. Radcliffe gasps and falls to his knees.

"What did you do to me?" He asks again.

"I just briefly ripped your astral form from your body."

"You did what!"

"Doctor, you need to relax."

"Relax? I think...I think I'm having a heart attack."

"I'm not that kind of doctor, but I can tell you certainly are not," Strange confirms. "I apologize for how overwhelming that experience must've been, but I needed to get your attention. I trust I have it now."

"You do, you do. Please don't do that again," Radcliffe requests and Strange nods. "You spoke of the Darkhold. How do you know of it?"

"It was part of my master's collection years ago before someone stole it."

"I don't have it, I swear."

"I'm aware of that, Doctor. The Darkhold was returned to its rightful place less than a few hours ago. But that is not why I'm here. I've come here to tell you about the fate of this world."

"What do you mean?"

"The Framework came to my attention when I detected the massive amounts of Darkhold energy used in its creation. My friends and I have been keeping watch over it since then in hopes that it might lead us to the Darkhold."

"If you have the Darkhold then why are you here now?"

"I and the followers of The Ancient One keep watch over the realms. Now that the Framework is a true dimension and here to stay, it is our duty to observe and help with its transition."

"Does that mean you can modify everyone's memories, so they don't remember this global disappearing act?" Radcliffe hopes.

"Don't be ridiculous. Even The Ancient One didn't have the power to do something like that, but I am here to help regardless. First things first." Strange waves his hand and Daisy appears before the two of them. She's floating in the air with her eyes closed as if she's asleep.

"Daisy."

"No. This is her avatar. The one known as Skye."

"But that's impossible. Daisy didn't leave behind an avatar."

"But her avatar still existed prior to her entrance into the Framework. Am I correct?"

"Yes."

"Things created by the Darkhold aren't so easily lost or destroyed. When Daisy escaped the Framework, her avatar returned to I'm guessing the last place she was before her consciousness was overwritten. I then put her into stasis."

"Why?"

"Skye still has her Inhuman powers, but none of Daisy's experience. The last thing this world needs right now is an Inhuman as powerful as her left unchecked."

"So are you here to help her learn to control her powers?"

"Yes, but it'll require more than just myself. We'll also need someone that she trusts. The one known as Grant Ward."

"If that's the case then why didn't you explain this to both of us at the same time?"

"Do you really think he's ready to learn of the existence of magic after what he's been through?"

"Um, no. I suppose he isn't," Radcliffe admits. Strange waves his hand again and Skye disappears.

"I've placed her in a specially reinforced room within the station. She should remain asleep for about another hour, so we'll have plenty of time to explain this to Ward when he comes back."

"Explain what to me?" Ward asks returning from the hangar.

"Uh, hi. I hope you like surprises," Radcliffe uneasily states.

**To Be Continued...**


	3. No More Surprises

**A/N: Hey everyone. This chapter's a little short, but I hope you like it nevertheless. I'm trying to work on there not being long breaks in between chapters on this story like I've had in so many others on fanfiction.net. Lol.**

_I guess there was some good in him all along, and I hope that Skye comes back to you._

Ward wasn't sure what to think regarding all this talk of other dimensions, but one thing he was sure of was that he'd never be the same without Skye in his life. He kept hoping that the other woman, Daisy, would reveal that she had been Skye all this time and this was just part of a plan to get herself involved with Shield without explaining her Hydra ties. But Ward could see the truth in her eyes and knew that once Daisy left him, his Skye wouldn't be coming back. And yet, here she is now; safe, sound, and resting peacefully in the Shield containment module. He was at a loss for words. It was like something out of a dream.

"How?" That was the only word Ward could get out.

"Long story. Let's just say it's a miracle," Radcliffe answers.

"When will she wake up?"

"In another 40 minutes or so," Strange answers. "I must warn you, Mr. Ward, that some of Daisy's memories and experiences will be mixed in with Skye's due to Daisy's consciousness briefly taking over hers'."

"How much of it will be there?" Ward asks getting closer to the containment module's window.

"Unknown. We'll have to wait for her to wake up first." Ward felt his heart sink. The look in Daisy's eyes when he touched her was still fresh in his mind. Living in a world without Skye was one thing, but living in a world where she was afraid of and maybe hated him? That's something Ward wasn't sure he could handle.

 _We'll cross that bridge when we get to it,_ he thinks. _For now, just be glad she's all right._

"This module. Are you sure it can contain her Inhuman powers?" Ward asks.

"With 100% certainty," Strange answers.

"I just thought of something," Radcliffe says. "Even if this module can keep her from tearing the building apart, won't the hundreds of people above us still feel the ridiculously strong tremors her powers will generate when she wakes up thus causing mass panic? You couldn't have thought to have dropped her off miles away from civilians?"

"You need not worry about that, Doctor. Everything has been handled. Now then, Mr. Ward, when Skye does wake up, I will do everything I can to help her learn to control her powers."

"Are you Inhuman?" Ward asks.

"No, but I know a thing or two about people with powers from my time in the other world. I will require your assistance, however, as Skye trusts you."

"Of course. I'd do anything to help her." Ward grabs a nearby chair and pulls it up to the module's window. He sits down and just stares at Skye's resting body. "Getting her to trust me is gonna be difficult though when she learns I'm with Shield and what became of Hydra."

"Just what kind of agent was she?" Radcliffe asks.

"Skye was…well she wasn't a sadist like Madame Hydra or The Doctor, but she still followed orders without question. She was also something of a cynic where work was involved. Being Agent May's protege didn't help her outlook on life either. She was an orphan and not a self-made one like I attempted to be. Her parents just disappeared. She got on Hydra's radar trying to hack their mainframe to find out about them and she should've been killed for that. From what I've heard, Daniel Whitehall insisted she be made part of Hydra instead giving her the one thing she'd been trying to find for 25 years."

"What was that?" Radcliffe asks.

"Family and purpose. Breaking those bonds won't be easy when she wakes up. "

"Speaking of her parents, in the other world, she actually found them," Radcliffe reveals.

"Really? What were they like?"

"I don't know. There wasn't a whole lot about them written in the files I read, but it sounded like it didn't end well. Figured you'd want to know incase Skye gets Daisy's memories of them too. Oh and Whitehall tried killing her mom. She's definitely gonna be pissed if she remembers that."

"Are there any _other_ surprises I need to be made aware of?" The exasperated Ward asks.

"Um, no. I think that about covers it."

* * *

 

Miles away from Shield Headquarters sits a quarantined field. Beneath the field lies hundreds upon hundreds of murdered Shield agents. The ground in one particular section appeared like it had been disturbed not long ago and had since been refilled. A hand suddenly breaks through the ground and someone pulls themselves out from under the dirt.

"Holy shit," Jemma coughs as she finishes pulling herself up. She shields her eyes from the light of the sun with one hand and grabs his throbbing head with the other. "Easy, Jemma. Calm down," she whispers to herself and opens her eyes back up. She pulls part of her shirt down and doesn't see any bullet holes from where she had been shot.

"I'm-I'm alive." She says. "I'm alive?" She repeats in disbelief. "This isn't possible-ahhhh!" She screams as her head feels like it's on fire.

_If I ever see you again, I will kill you._

_No way to prove it. You won't know until they kill you. There's no way to know until they kill you!_

_Fitz would never hurt an innocent woman._

_I couldn't find the courage to tell you, so please, let me show you._

_NOOOOO!_

_The images stop and Jemma falls back into the grass. Her heart feeling like it's ready to burst out of her chest._

"What-what the Hell was that...what the Hell was that?"

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Relationship Problems

_"With great power comes…a ton of weird crap you are not prepared to deal with."_

* * *

 

Skye's eyes open. The word 'power' echoing in her head. Her vision is blurry and she rubs her eyes as she starts to sit up.

 _What happened?_ She thinks before noticing her new surroundings.

 _Where am?…how did I-ow, my head,_ she thinks rubbing her temples.

"Skye," a familiar voice says.

"Grant," she says in almost a whisper due to how lightheaded she feels. She turns around on the bed she's on and spots Ward, Radcliffe, and Strange watching her from outside the containment module.

"Skye, are you alright?" Ward asks.

"No. My head. It feels like someone took a sledgehammer to it," she groans.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was about to take a bath. Why am I locked in here?"

"Um, it's kind of a long story," Ward uneasily answers.

"Why don't you start from the top-ugh!" Skye groans and then a vision flashes before her eyes.

* * *

 

_"Sit down while I check the door," Ward tells Skye. She jogs after him and spots a gun in the holster of a downed Hydra agent. Wasting no time, she grabs the weapon, aims it, and fires four bullets into Ward's side._

_"Never turn your back on the enemy. You taught me that," she tells her stunned former friend and leaves him behind._

* * *

 

"What the absolute Hell was that?" She asks.

"Oh boy, she's remembering," Radcliffe whispers. Ward shushes him in response and turns back to Skye.

"I just saw myself shooting you. Why did I see myself shooting you?"

"Skye, you need to stay calm."

"Stay calm?"

"A lot has recently happened and it's very complicated to say the least," he starts to explain.

"Then why don't you start with why the Hell am I locked up!" She shouts then her eyes catch sight of a familiar symbol on the right side of the containment module. "Shield," she whispers and then looks back at Ward. "Are you with Shield?"

"Skye," Ward hesitantly begins.

"Grant. Are. You. With. Shield?" She asks again. The edge to her voice increasing with each word. Ward takes a deep breath and answers.

"Yes."

"Oh my God." Skye puts a hand over her heart as its beating starts to quicken in pace.

"Wait, let me explain."

"What? Are you going to say that what we had was real? That you weren't just using me!" She yells at him.

"You seriously need to calm her down," Radcliffe advises.

"Shut up!" Ward shouts at him.

"No, you shut up, Ward! You bastard!" She shouts again. Pain suddenly shoots through her head again and she drops to her knees.

* * *

 

_"Skye? You want to talk to us?" May asks._

_"Skye? What's doing this?" A concerned Coulson questions. As frightened as she is as the room shakes around her, Skye can't keep the words from tumbling from her lips._

_"I am," she confesses._

* * *

 

"What the Hell was that?" Skye breathes and then notices her hands are starting to shake uncontrollably and her heartbeat starts to get even faster. "What's wrong with me? Grant, what's wrong with me-AHHHHHHH!" She screams as the pain in her head increases ten fold and the entire area around her starts to violently shake.

"Skye!" Ward goes for the containment module doors, but Strange holds him back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Can't you see she's scared!"

"Unless you want your bones turned into dust!…" Strange's voices trails off as he notices the floor beneath his feet starting to shake as well.

"I thought you said you made it so that thing could contain her powers," a nervous Radcliffe says.

"I have been told I have a bit of an ego problem," Strange utters.

 _Ok, screw this,_ Ward thinks.

He grabs Strange's arm and flips him to the floor. He reaches for the control pad of the containment module, but something shocks his hand when he touches it.

"What did you do to this door!" He yells at Strange.

The vibrations suddenly increase in their intensity causing Ward and Radcliffe to lose their balance and fall down. Back inside the module, tears start streaming down Skye's face at the amount of images bombarding her mind.

* * *

 

_"N-no! TRIPP!"_

_"He's Hydra!"_

_"I'm sorry May, you're not welcome here."_

_"There's something very wrong with me."_

* * *

 

"Make it stop," she pleads. "Make it STOP!" She pounds her fist on the floor and a massive crack appears in it, making her cry out in surprise.

Strange pulls himself back up to his feet and forms a portal in front of him to get by the magic shield he put around the containment module. He rushes forward, but the vibrations pulsing from Skye push him back before he can get any closer.

"For crying out loud, you need to calm down!" Radcliffe shouts.

"Calm down? Look at me! I'm a freak!" She cries out and some of the lights in the room shatter as a result followed by another set of visions flashing before her eyes.

* * *

 

_"Imagine what will happen if your powers grow. It might not stop at breaking glass. You could bring down buildings. Tear continents apart," Sif tells Skye._

_"We're the ones that need protecting," Mack blurts out not realizing Skye heard every word._

_"No! Skye!" Bobbi screams as another agent fires his weapon at her._

_"We're not going to turn on you or abandon you," Jiaying promises._

_"It would be," Cal starts._

_"Let me guess. Best day ever," Skye finishes._

* * *

 

That last part brings Skye out of her vision and back into the containment module.

 _Who were those two people? Something about them feels…familiar. Warm._ Skye thinks and her heartbeat miraculously starts to slow and the terrible pain in her head starts to calm down as well along with the vibrations.

With that, Strange makes a hasty entrance into the containment module and shoves his palm into Skye's chest forcing her astral form from her body. Her physical body slumps to the floor and the vibrations stop completely.

"Mr. Ward, if you would join...-"

"What did you do to her!" Ward interrupts entering the module. Strange sighs and knocks Ward's astral form from his body without even turning around.

"I'll be back with you in a moment, Dr. Radcliffe," Strange says and removes his own astral form from his body.

Radcliffe just stares at the three unconscious bodies before him and awkwardly scratches the back of his head.

* * *

 

"What did you just do!" Ward demands to know gazing unbelievably at his astral form.

"Someone better start explaining things now!" Skye also demands. Strange rolls his eyes, lifts up his hands, and freezes both Skye and Ward in place.

"Now, I'm going to release you both, and when I do, I want you to please calm down. Am I understood?"

"Yeah, sure," Ward replies.

"Fine," Skye answers and Strange releases them.

"You said you weren't Inhuman," Ward reminds him.

"I'm not, but the nature of my powers is not important at the moment. What is important is you, Skye."

"Why me?"

"Due to circumstances beyond your control, you've been given one of the most dangerous Inhuman powers on the planet. I'm here to help you learn how to control them."

"How could these powers even be activated? I've never been near the Terrigen crystals," she says and turns to Ward. "Did you do this to me?"

"No. I would never hurt you. Please, I need you to trust me."

"Trust you? Grant, you're with Shield."

"I know what this looks like, but believe me, Hydra is not what you thought it was. I wish I could explain everything that happened, but it's way too much to take in all at once."

"Oh yeah. Try me."

* * *

 

**S.H.I.E.L.D. Graveyard**

Jemma Simmons sits beside her grave unsure of how much time has passed since she pulled herself out of it. By now she has calmed down and now just wants some answers.

 _Those visions? What were they? They felt so foreign and yet...so familiar. And who was that man and why does my heart beat a mile a minute when I picture his face? Of course, none of those questions are as important as how the bloody hell am I still alive and how long has it been since the attack at the academy?_ She wonders.

She rubs her forehead slightly and takes a deep breath as her head starts to lightly throb again while she slowly stands to her feet.

 _One thing's for certain. I won't get any answers just waiting around,_ Jemma thinks and walks away from her grave.

The graveyard continues on for several agonizing minutes and Simmons feels sick to her stomach thinking about how many bodies must be under her. Eventually, Simmons reaches a fence and as she contemplates climbing over it or not, she spots a gap in the fence to left. She approaches the gap and manages to squeeze her way through.

 _Something about this feels oddly familiar,_ she thinks then spots a sign that reads:

**Keep Out**

**S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Science and Technology**

The word **'Hydra'** spray painted over the sign.

 _Ok. This is DEFINITELY familiar,_ she recalls. An approaching van breaks Simmons' train of thought and she runs towards it waving her hands.

"Hey! Hey!" She calls out and the car slowly comes to a stop. "Oh, thank you so much. I need help." The driver rolls down her window revealing a woman with red hair, brown eyes, and a rather serious look on her face.

"Jemma Simmons?" She asks.

"...yes. How do you know my name?"

The woman responds by pulling out an Icer and shooting Simmons. Simmons falls to the street unmoving and two women identical to the one that just shot her get out of the van. They pick Simmons up and carry her into the vehicle as the driver puts her weapon away and pulls out a cell phone.

"It's Alisha," she says to whomever is on the other end. "Tell the Clairvoyant that we have her."

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Heartbreak and Confusion

"Well, that's everything, Skye," Ward says finishing his recap of the recent chain of events; him, Skye, and Strange still in their astral forms.

"Let me get this straight. My consciousness was overridden by a different me from some other dimension and that's why I can't remember the last 48 hours or so?" She asks.

"Yes."

"And my Inhuman powers got activated by May during that time?"

"Yes."

"And where's May now?"

"Why?"

"If this is all true then I want to hear it from her."

"I don't know where she is."

"Hey, that's convenient."

"It's the truth. I didn't see her again after she and the other you left the station following Shield's broadcast. My best guess is that she went with the other you to that other dimension."

"Why would she go there?"

"I barely understand this myself, but it sounds like she was never from here to begin with according to what Radcliffe told us," Ward explains pointing to Radcliffe back in the physical plain, who feel asleep in the time it took Ward to get Skye up to speed.

"Do you know how little sense you're making? I've read files on May, seen pictures, and videos. Are you saying everything about her was a fabrication?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying!" Ward snaps. He takes a moment to compose himself and then continues. "I'm saying that you shouldn't expect to see May again. It sounded like she was put here against her will anyway, so she deserves to be with people that she cares about and who care about her." When Ward says this, a look of hurt forms on Skye's face.

 _Oh…right. Skye was May's protege. No wonder she wanted to know where she was. Nice going, Ward,_ he thinks to himself.

Skye kneels down beside her body and turns to Strange.

"I'd like to be left alone. Put me back in my body." Strange appears hesitant to do this and Skye has a silent laugh. "You don't have to worry about me accidentally splitting this building apart with my powers. May taught me how to keep my emotions in check. She'd probably still be scolding me right now if she saw my little freak out, but I've got a handle on it now. So please, put me back."

Strange nods to Skye and waves his wands. There is a flash of light and the three of them are all back in their physical bodies. Skye sits back up and walks over to her bed where she sits back down. Ward starts to walk over to her, but Strange steps in his path.

"It's best we honor her wish, Mr. Ward."

"I know. Just give me a minute. Please."

"Exactly one minute," Strange states. Ward nods and Strange steps aside. Ward approaches Skye, but stops a good few feet from her.

"Skye," he begins, but she doesn't meet his gaze. "I just want you to know that you aren't alone in this. I meant what I said. I would never do anything to hurt you. You were the first person to get me to believe that I could be a good man. I'm going to honor that by helping you get through this. Somehow I will. You have my word."

He takes a few nervous steps towards Skye and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. He feels Skye lightly flinch and it makes his heart ache. It almost makes him wish that the Shield/Hydra war hadn't come to a head as they'd still be together at least, but he knows he can't be selfish.

"Time's up, Mr. Ward," Strange announces and conjures up a portal to exit the containment module.

"Alright. I'll come back to check on you later," he promises Skye and follows Strange through the portal. "That could've worked out better," Ward sighs once the portal closes behind them. "I don't even know if she believes us about the other dimension."

"The first step is always the hardest," Strange says and then loudly clears his throat startling the sleeping Dr. Radcliffe awake.

"What, what happened?" He asks through a yawn.

"We filled Skye in on as much as we could. Not sure how much of it she believes, but I guess it's a start," Ward replies.

"What do we do now?" Radcliffe questions.

"Now, we give Skye some time to herself to process what she's been told. There is still plenty to try and fix in this world while she does so." Strange leads the two of them out of the containment room leaving Skye to her thoughts. The lone Inhuman rubs away a few tears running down her face and stares at her shaky right hand.

 _With great power comes comes...a ton of weird crap that you are not prepared to deal with,_ she hears her other self echo in her mind again.

* * *

 

_"Why are you doing this?" Simmons tearfully asks. Ophelia stands over her with a smile on her face and the gun pointed at a spot right next to the bullet hole already coating Simmon's shirt in blood._

_"Because I desire the freedom to choose and I choose him."_

_"Who are you talking about?" This question just earns her a smirk from Ophelia and she pulls the trigger._

* * *

 

The sound of the bullet being fired awakens Simmons from her memory.

 _Where am I now?_ She wonders. _Wait. Bloody Hell, I was shot!_ She thinks and then sits up and pulls up her shirt to check for anymore bullet wounds.

Just like the now non-existent bullet holes in her chest, there is no damage to her stomach either. What's more, Simmons realizes that she's in a different set of clothes and she is sitting on a bed.

"Ahem," someone lightly clears their throat. Simmons turns to her right. A black man, in his early forties it appears, and with a kind face, sits across from Simmons. "Hi," he greets.

"Hi?" Simmons responds more so as a question.

"Happy to see you're finally awake. Don't be afraid. You're among friends here."

"I'm not afraid. Just really, really confused. Like who are you, and what is this place, and how am I not dead?"

"In this order, I'm Mike Peterson, you're aboard The Zephyr, and Alisha shot you with an icer; a stun gun to put it simply. My apologies for her doing that, but we needed to quickly get you out of that area before any Hydra agents could come along."

 _An icer. Of course. Why didn't I recognize it at first glance? Probably because I was too preoccupied with other pressing thoughts,_ she thinks then continues the conversation with Mike. "That explains how I didn't die today, but it doesn't explain how I survived getting shot twice during the attack on the Shield Academy."

"That's a question I can't answer, but The Clairvoyant can."

"The Clairvoyant?"

"She's the one that told us to go find you. She can see the future as far fetched as it sounds."

"I _would_ call it far fetched if it wasn't for the whole 'coming back from the dead' thing," Simmons lightly chuckles and then the room they are in briefly shakes mildly startling her.

"Sorry about the turbulence. We had to take a less than ideal path to avoid any Hydra jets out there looking for us."

"Jets? The Zephyr is a plane?"

"Oh yeah. Forgot to mention that," Mike laughs and then stands up. "Now then, I've been instructed to bring you to The Clairvoyant once you woke up. If you'll follow me please," Mike requests and holds his hand out to Simmons. She takes it, he helps her stand up, and leads her out of the room.

As confused and nervous as she is, Simmons can't help, but Marvel at the technology inside the Zephyr. It's like something out of a dream and yet it has an odd familiarity to it that Simmons can't quite place. She glances at a monitor to her left and sees her picture on it with a checkmark and a picture of Skye's face right next to it.

 _That woman. Her face looks so familiar. Why can't a I put a name to it?_ Simmons thinks. She and Mike continue their walk for another minute or two before stopping in front of a steel door.

"Just a friendly heads up, it's going to be a little dark in there. The Clairvoyant doesn't really like the light."

"I'm ok with that as long as I can get some answers." Mike nods and opens the door. He and Simmons step inside and he shuts the door behind them. Simmons feels a chill run up her spine as the light is almost completely extinguished.

"She's awake," Mike announces. Simmons can't tell who he is talking to at first, but then notices someone sitting in the corner of the dimly lit room.

"Thank you, Mike," the woman replies and faces the duo. The only part of the woman's hooded face that Simmons can fully make out are her eyes and they send an even colder rush through her body.

"Please Simmons. Take a seat," she offers. Simmons looks from the woman to Mike.

"Don't be afraid. Like I said. You're among friends."

"Friends might be a strong word, but I am an ally," the woman says. "They call me The Clairvoyant, but you may call me Raina."

**To Be Continued...**


	6. From Fear to Wonder

"Raina, your name...it sounds so familiar, but I don't know why," Simmons says.

"It's alright. I'll try to explain as best I can though I must warn you, it will sound very hard to believe."

"Assuming I truly did just come back from the dead, I doubt anything would surprise me," Simmons jokes with an uneasy laugh.

Raina pauses for a moment as if choosing her next words carefully. It puts Simmons even more on edge particularly with how Raina's eyes were the only things she could fully see in this dark room. Simmons rubs the spots on her chest where Ophelia shot her and flinches despite the wounds being fully healed. She can still remember the feeling of her body going cold and her world being consumed by the dark as she bled out.

"Tell me," Raina begins breaking the silence at last. "What was the first thing you remembered when you pulled yourself out of that grave?"

"I-I'm not sure. Just brief images."

"Images of a life you never had?"

"Yes, how do you know?"

"This it the part that will be hardest to believe. I need you to just let me explain it and then ask any questions you might have. Can you do that?" Raina asks. Simmons gives a brief nod. "Alright then. Now, a lot has changed since the massacre at the Academy," Raina starts. "Hydra won the war between it and Shield and the woman you know as Ophelia had been running Hydra with an iron fist ever since."

"Ophelia is in charge?" Simmons asks without thinking. "But she was just a student at the academy, the same as me. How can she be in charge?...wait, how long has it been since the attack at the academy?"

"What did I just say about asking questions?" Raina reminds her.

"I'm sorry, but I-I need to know. Please."

"Very well. It's been 9 years since the attack at the academy."

"What!?" Simmons exclaims. "It can't have been that long! There's isn't any kind of technology on Earth that can keep a body preserved that long! I would've been a rotting pile of flesh in that graveyard if that were true!"

"Simmons, please calm down. As I said, all will be revealed shortly. Just let me get to the end of my explanation."

"I'm sorry. Please continue," Simmons apologizes with a shaky voice. She takes a series of long breathes; her heart, once again, feeling like it may burst out of her chest.

"I have a gift Simmons; the power to see into the future. Not too long ago, I had a vision of Opehila speaking with one of her colleagues about another world. One that is similar to our own, but also vastly different. A world where Shield won; a world more free than this. From what I could tell from my visions and Intel we received from other agents, she kidnapped people from that dimension and your equivalent from over there crossed over into our world to save her friends. I had a vision of her and you pulling yourselves out of the exact same place in that graveyard. My only guess is that she crossed over into your corpse and in doing so, fully restored your body. The other you may now be gone, returned to her own dimension, but the life she gave your body stayed along with some of her memories. Ok, now you may ask any questions you have."

Ordinarily, Simmons would find herself throwing out question after question about how none of this could be possible, but she can only find it in herself to ask one. "The people at the Academy, my friends…are any of them still alive?"

"Some people escaped, but not many. You can check the Shield database once we reach Providence."

"Providence?"

"A base Nick Fury had set up in Canada for emergencies," Mike answers. "It took some doing to find," he explains; a somber look forming on his face. "And we lost more than a few good people doing it. But we finally have a chance to turn the tide of this fight."

"How can I help?" Simmons asks.

"I don't know, but you must be of some importance if my visions showed you to me."

"Agent Peterson," Alisha's voice sounds in the room. Mike pulls his communicator off his belt and answers it.

"This is Mike," he replies.

"We'll be landing in less than a minute. When we do, take the girl to meet with our superior. Alisha out." The call ends and not long after that, the group can feel the Zephyr starting to slow down and then start descending.

"Welcome to Providence," Mike says once they feel the Zephyr touch down. "Follow me," he says and Simmons does as she's told.

"Do you mind me asking you a question?" She asks as they leave the room, and Raina, behind.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Just what is Raina? I couldn't fully see because of how dark it was, but something about her appearance didn't seem quite human."

"Raina is what we call an Inhuman."

"What's an Inhuman?"

"That is a good question. I don't fully understand myself, but whatever triggered her power of foresight also altered her physical appearance. Alisha, the one that found you, is an Inhuman as well with the power to make copies of herself."

"And are you an Inhuman?"

"I'm Enhanced, but I'm not an Inhuman. The Shield database will have a more detailed history regarding what you missed over these past few years," he explains leading Simmons to the Zephyr's exit ramp. Upon going down the ramp and entering Providence, Simmon's jaw drops. For the second time since pulling herself out of her own grave, she feels excitement and wonder instead of fear and dread.

"Hey, you seem happy all of a sudden," Mike says with a smile as he leads Simmons to a door marked 'Level 0'.

"I've never been in a real Shield base before," she says as Mike scans a card he has in front of the door to open it. They step through and Simmons' smile continues to grow. "I heard stories about what these bases looked like when I was at the academy, but I must say, the reality definitely beats the fantasy."

"Happy we didn't disappoint," a voice says. A voice that this time Simmons legitimately recognizes. She faces the direction the voice came from and feels her heart do a leap.

"Victoria! I mean, Ms. Hand! Ma'am! You're alive!" Simmons yells and throws her arms around the other woman to give her a hug. "I'm sorry," Simmons apologizes, but doesn't let go. "After what I've been through, I'm just really _really_ happy to see a familiar face."

"It's ok. I'm glad to see you're alive as well, Simmons," Victoria says lightly hugging her back. "I found it hard to believe that you were back, but Raina's visions have never been wrong."

"I wish I could explain how, but I don't even believe it myself. Ms. Hand, I need to know. Has it really been 9 years since I died?"

Victoria places a comforting hand on Simmons' shoulder. "I'm afraid so." Simmons feels her knees grow weak and Victoria helps keep her steady. Simmons glances at Victoria's left hand on her shoulder and feels something off about it.

"Oh my, God. Your hand," she realizes.

"You don't go to war without accumulating a few scars. Fate seemed to have a sick sense of humor in my case," she says observing her black robotic hand. "Hope to repay Daniel Whitehall the favor one day."

"I'm so sorry," Simmons says.

"Hey, what matters is that you're ok. Now, take all the time you need to process this and when you're ready, I'll brief you on everything that's happened since the attack at the academy."

**To Be Continued...**


	7. Cut Off the Head

**Washington D.C.**

**The White House**

The President of the United States descends in an elevator to a level of the White House that few know the existence of while trying to process everything that took place since earlier this morning. Shield rising up, the riots at the Hydra facilities, the global disappearing acts; he wasn't prepared to explain any of it. Worse yet, he knew that the people knew that he did not know what he was talking about. This feeling of no control was foreign and unpleasant to him and damn it all if he wasn't going to get to the bottom of this. The elevator reaches his chosen floor and he steps out into a dimly lit hallway. He swiftly traverses the hall to the other end of it and opens the door to a small conference room.

"Ah, so nice of you to finally join us," Daniel Whitehall greets from a small circular table where a few other individuals also sit.

"That's no way to speak to your President, Mr. Whitehall," he says taking a seat himself.

"That's Doctor Whitehall to you and while you're The President up there, down here you're just Alexander Pierce. Understand?"

"I understand. I understand that you're insane to think you have any real power over me. After all, who was it that fished you out of that prison Agent Carter left you to rot in?"

"Gentlemen please. Calm yourselves," said the collected voice of Gideon Malick. "A Hydra whose heads don't work together in harmony," he begins.

"Is destined to destroy itself," his brother Nathaniel finishes for him.

"Forgive me, but unity is the last thing I'd expect to hear a Malick of all people talk about," Whitehall insults. Nathaniel begins to stand up, but Gideon places a hand on his shoulder to get him to sit back down.

"Enough. I agree with Gideon. This is no time for pointless bickering," Wolfgang von Strucker says.

"You are quite right," Pierce agrees. "Now then, how is our patient doing?"

"Our dear Madame Hydra? Her situation is peculiar. Yes, quite peculiar indeed. Her brain activity is quite unlike any coma patient I've seen. The best way I could describe it is like a computer attempting to reboot itself."

"Has she been an Inhuman this entire time?" Gideon asks.

"Perhaps or this could be a side effect of the Inhuman experiments she did with Doctor Fitz," Strucker suggests.

"I say we just pull the plug on her. In the span of just a couple of days she's managed to nearly destabilize everything Hydra has worked so hard to achieve, lest we forget the number of agents lost getting her out of the Triskileon. And for what? That top secret project she and Fitz were working on. Where the Hell is he anyway?"

"Whitehall, come now. Hydra has survived worse than this. Cut off the head and two more shall take its place after all," Strucker reminds him. The sound of a knock at the door interrupts the group.

"Come in," Pierce says and a masked individual enters the conference room. "Agent Rumlow."

"Sir. All the patrols have reported in. They lost sight of the Zephyr somewhere around the Canadian border."

"And you felt it necessary to come to us with only bad news?" Whitehall asks.

"Of course not, sir." Rumlow approaches the table and places a manilla folder on it. "According to the communications we managed to intercept before losing track of the Zephyr, the Resistance is trying to find these four individuals." He opens the folder revealing pictures of Skye, Simmons, Radcliffe, and Elena.

"I recognize the first two. That's Skye and the second woman is Jemma Simmons. Someone that should be dead I might add. But who are the other two?" Whitehall asks.

"I believe the Colombian woman was one of our research subjects, but I have not seen this Holden Radcliffe before. I wonder what the Resistance could want with him," Strucker comments.

"And why are they trying to find Skye and Jemma Simmons? Last I checked they were already in the Resistance's ranks," Whitehall recalls.

"Just say the word and I'll take my men to go find out," Rumlow eagerly offers.

"Thank you, but I believe this situation calls for a more inconspicuous approach," Whitehall counters. He rolls up his sleeve revealing a wrist communicator and activates it. A few seconds pass and then someone answers on the other end.

"Sir?" A female voice replies.

"Ah, Kara. I'm so relieved to hear your voice," Whitehall says with the utmost fake sincerity. "After this global disappearing act, I was worried something terrible might have happened to you."

"Thanks, but I know this isn't a social call. What do you need?" Whitehall does not respond. "Sir," Kara adds.

"That's better. I have an assignment for you. Report to our base in the White House's bunker at once. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir."

"That's a good girl," Whitehall chuckles and ends the call. Pierce gives Whitehall a sour look earning him an even bigger laugh from the Doctor.

"It's not wise to taunt her like that, Daniel. Not with her mental state the way it is," Pierce chastises him.

"Mr. 'President', you worry too much. What's a screw or two loose? She's still one of our best. No offense, Rumlow."

"None taken. I like her," Rumlow laughs.

"Just remember, gentlemen, that removing the Resistance from the picture won't mean much if we can't get the people back on our side," Pierce warns them.

"Perhaps we don't win them back over then," Nathaniel suggests.

"You remember how trying to force people to surrender their freedom worked out for the Red Skull, don't you?"

"That's was decades ago. Look at Hydra now. We have more than enough numbers and strength."

"No. We do this smart or not at all."

"That's enough out of both of you," Gideon interjects. "You both make solid points, but for now our effort is best focused on dealing with the Resistance. Remember. A Hydra whose heads do not work together in harmony is destined to destroy itself."

**To Be Continued...**

**A/N: Seven chapters in and the plot is finally starting to advance. Sort of. Lol. Thanks again to everyone that has read, reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. See you next time.**

 


	8. Building Bridges

"That's a good girl," Whitehall replies over the communicator and ends the conversation with Kara. She sets her communicator aside on her bedside table and lies back down in her bed.

 _Why do I work with him? Because I owe him everything. Don't I?_ Kara thinks. 

 _New life and purpose in exchange for my compliance._ Kara's hands start to grip her sheets tightly almost of their own will when she thinks of the word 'compliance'.

She looks down at them with a confused look and then feels a tingling sensation on the left side of her face. She gets out of bed and approaches her bedroom mirror. She takes a closer look at her face and slides her fingers down the skin. It feels mildly rough, but it looks completely smooth.

"What's wrong with me?" She whispers and then there is a knock at the door to her apartment. Kara goes to the door and opens it.

"Hey there, chica," Bobbi greets reaching forward and giving Kara a hug.

"You have a key. You didn't need to knock," Kara says hugging her back.

"That's what I said," Hunter mentions, leaning against the wall.

"Hey, this is Kara's home. We aren't gonna just barge in on her."

"You should know by now that the concept of manners is lost on me, love."

"Can't blame a girl for trying," Bobbi laughs giving him a kiss then entering Kara's apartment. The three of them go into Kara's small kitchen and take a seat at the table.

"How have you been doing today so far?" Bobbi asks.

"After I found out that I slept through the 'everybody on Earth temporarily disappeared' incident, I didn't feel inclined to leave the apartment. So I've just been sitting here trying to process that and what President Pierce told us regarding Hydra. Can you believe they'd do something like this?"

"Honestly, after everything Bob and I have learned through our own business, I can."

"That was a fun few months of deep cover, wasn't it? I know we took a 'don't ask, don't tell policy' about what we do and who we do it for, Kara, but I feel so tempted to tell you about that job," Bobbi chuckles alongside Hunter. As they continues to laugh, Kara's eyes fixate on Bobbi. The color of Bobbi's hair changes from blonde to a brunette color and her clothes start to change their appearance to a red outfit.

"Kara? Is something wrong?" Hunter asks her. Kara's face goes from tingling to feeling like someone is picking the skin right off it. She grabs that portion of her face trying to get the feeling to stop.

"Kara!" Bobbi cries out.

Kara stares at her and the world becomes distorted as Bobbi's image rapidly shifts between her normal self and Kara's hallucination. She starts to hyperventilate and Bobbi reaches for something in her bag. She pulls out a syringe with an orange substance in it. Hunter holds Kara's arm in place while Bobbi prepares to use the syringe.

 _No. I can't let her touch me…why not? What's wrong with me?_ Kara panics in her mind.

That panic is enough to distract her from Bobbi already pressing the syringe into one of her veins and pumping the substance in it. The sensation burns and Kara's teeth clench so hard that she's afraid she might break some of them. But after about 30 seconds, the feeling passes and Kara slowly opens her eyes back up. Bobbi looks normal again and Kara rubs her face once more; a sigh of relief escaping her lips at it feeling smooth.

"What, what did you give me?" Kara asks taking deep calming breathes.

"Something Hunter and I found while joining some of the rioters attacking the Triskelion. They called it Extremis. I thought it might help with the headaches you've been experiencing."

"Thank you. It helped a little," she replies touching her face again.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Hunter asks.

"When I was having that panic attack, it felt like my skin was simultaneously being burned and scarred."

"Have you ever had that feeling before?" Bobbi asks.

"Before, it was just this tingling sensation. But it isn't just my face that's starting to feel worse now. Ever since I turned 28, I haven't just been experiencing headaches. The world has started to feel foreign to me. Like I don't belong and that no one is who they say they are. I thought it might be stress or paranoia brought on by my own line of work, but now I'm not so sure."

"And what do we look like to you?"

"You look like," Kara starts and then pauses, taking a careful look at Bobbi. Her image doesn't change and, unlike how she felt during her panic attack, her heartbeat is steady and her hands are relaxed. "Friends. You look like friends," she finishes, taking Bobbi and Hunter's hands.

* * *

"95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100," Skye counts to herself as she continues her pushups. She lost track of how long she had been stuck in this room with her own confused and upset thoughts, so she started exercising to take her mind off things. It only mildly took the edge off, but mildly was better than nothing she supposed. Especially when she could accidentally split apart the building if she didn't keep her feelings in check.

 _May would be so pissed if she knew I was locked up. At least I hope she would be,_ Skye thinks.

_But if what Grant said was true and she did rebel against Hydra, how would she see me? Surely she wouldn't stand for this. We are the closest thing the other has to family after all. Ugh. Maybe it would've been for the best if I just kept my hacker nose out of Hydra's business. I'd be alone, but at least I'd be alone in my van and not alone in a top secret base with destructive superpowers. I wonder how the other me processed all this._

"Hey Skye," Tripp's voice comes from outside the cell. Skye sits up and uses her shirt to wipe away some of the sweat coating her face. Tripp stands just outside the cell holding a tray with a sandwich.

"I wouldn't get any closer to this cell," Skye warns.

"Mystical Mumbo Jumbo dude outside already told me what he did. He made it so I can't be hurt by the magical field."

"He told you that he's magic and you just accepted it?"

"In this order, he thinks I can be trusted, so he told me about his powers and when you learn that there's another dimension adjacent to your own, you tend to open your mind a bit." Tripp steps forward and the forcefield visibly materializes before him. He walks right through it and presses a few buttons on the cell door. A small portion of the door opens up, large enough for the tray he's holding.

"I know you probably don't want to accept food from Shield 'scum' like me," Tripp begins, but Skye reaches through the opening, takes the tray, and pulls it into the cell.

"It's my favorite. I'm guessing Grant told you that?" Skye asks taking a big bite out of the sandwich.

"Yep."

"Figures. Where is he?" She asks with her mouth full.

"Keeping a safe distance away. He thinks you're still mad at him."

"He's not wrong. And it's not even regular anger. I've got the other me's not so positive feelings towards Grant on top of them." The ground lightly starts shaking and Skye bites back into her sandwich to try and calm down.

"I don't know a lot about Ward, but from what I've seen of him, he seems like a decent guy."

"Even if that was the case, I don't understand how he could willingly work with Shield."

"Because the world was deceived by a lie."

"Were we? You saw what happened with that child in Cambridge. Even if there was some conspiracy behind it, people still died because of a person with powers."

"Hey, she was just a child and an orphan at that. She didn't have anyone to help her get through the experience. Not like you do."

"You're really gonna try and help me get a handle on my powers when killing me would be a lot easier?"

"It would be, but that's not what we do here at Shield."

"How kind of you," Skye says finishing her sandwich. She walks back to the door and pushes the tray and plate through the small opening for Tripp to take back. "Hey, I haven't seen you before have I?"

"Why?"

"I don't know why, but when I look at you, I get this…familiar, almost calming feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"We never met in this world, but the other you and other me were apparently friends. Alright, I gotta go back topside, but if you need anything, bathroom, food, or just someone to talk to, don't hesitate to contact me." Tripp pushes a small communicator through the opening for Skye to take. "We've weakened its signal strength though, so if you try figuring out how to contact someone within Hydra outside of the base, if won't work, so don't try it."

"Understood," Skye replies. As Tripp starts to leave, Skye feels a question bubble to the surface that she isn't sure she wants to know, but can't pass up the opportunity. "Wait!" She calls out.

"What is it?" Tripp asks turning around and walking back to the cell.

"The other me…did she say anything about who she really was? Who her parents were?"

"She didn't talk much about her past, but Ward says she told him what her name really is. It's Daisy."

"Daisy," Skye repeats. Heart fluttering a bit at getting at least one answer about her past. "Such a pretty name."

* * *

Tripp exits the cell block to find Strange and Ward waiting for him.

"You sure giving her a communicator is a good idea? She's still Hydra right now," Ward reminds him.

"I know, but establishing some semblance of trust is a good start at least to trying to break those bonds. A team that trusts is a team that triumphs."

"…what the heck was that?" Ward asks.

"I don't know. Something Daisy said The Patriot said back in the other world."

"Speaking of Daisy, I mean Skye, is she still mad at me?"

"Yep."

"Figured. Can't blame a guy for hoping though."

"Don't worry. We'll get through to her," Tripp assures him.

"Preferably before she gets tired of waiting and tries breaking out with her powers," Strange comments.

"Relax, Doc. Rome wasn't built in a day after all."

 _Oh the irony,_ Strange sighs in his thoughts.


End file.
